A note by John Beales for the Hickling Local History Group meeting on 6th June 2001:

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The garage was originally Pratt’s garage. James Pratt had been on the fishing boats as an engineer. He was ashore from Christmas to March and then worked for Mr Herbert Edgell of The Thatched House on Hill Common, taking care of his car and acting as chauffeur.

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Mr Edgell sent James Pratt to Mann Egerton, I believe, for training in automobile engineering, and in the 1930s the Edgells - who were generous benefactors to the village - left some money for James Pratt to build a garage.

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The garage was subsequently run by Mr Battley and later by Mr Andrews.